Monthly Archives: August 2021

Never Read a Comic Book

I got into gaming many years ago. At the time, I was working for Toshiba copiers and printers. They sent me to Philadelphia on a business trip. One evening, very early into the trip, I was bored at the motel. I went across the street to King of Prussia Mall. I went into a comic book store and watched some people playing games. I bought some of the characters. I sat around playing some games and then went back to the motel. I went back to work the next day and back to the game shop at night. I did this the entire week I was there.

When I got home, I kept at the game. I discovered the local comic book store. I started playing there and hanging out playing tournaments. I got to see how much money I was spending. I was not too fond of the attitude of the owners of the local game store. I started looking around to see if I could open a game store. There was not one in Sanford, NC.

I met Robbie, who owned the comic book store before me, in Sanford, NC. He let me open my gaming store in the back of this place. When he passed away, his children sold it all off. I took over the whole place. I’d bought a lot of these comics from Rob. I have been buying comics ever since. I still live in Vass, NC, near Southern Pines, NC, and I drive here to the comic book shop to work.

I love to watch movies. I like the characters. However, strangely enough, I have never read a comic book. I flip through them to make sure there is nothing inappropriate for kids, but I don’t read them.

I play games. I watch what others do and learn the rules that way. I can remember from the picture what the card does. I don’t read the rules. I like to learn visually.

Two of a Dive

Marka or Mark V dive helmet tattoo

Nearly every graduate of Navy Diver School has a similar tattoo somewhere on their body. I would guess 95 to 97 percent.

My buddy and I stayed up all night drinking and ended up at a sketchy Aryan tattoo artist’s shop. The artist free-drew this tattoo. This is called the Marka or Mark V dive helmet. This was the dive helmet divers used until the late 1980s. This is also the insignia for the uniform of a Navy diver.

Only two people in the world have this exact tattoo — my buddy and me.

 

Shorty Chases the Moon

Egyptian Ankh

This tattoo is the Egyptian Ankh. This was done by a friend of mine about 17 years ago. It was because I also loved Egyptian mythology. The Eye of Ra is the middle, but you can’t really see it. My friend has since passed away. It is very special to me. I will never touch it up in any way.

T Rex

The T Rex is my second tattoo. That is because I have always been short, and my arms are short. At work, I can’t reach everything because I have T Rex arms. I decided I might as well put the T Rex on the arm. I get a lot of compliments on this tattoo.

 Boba Cat tattoo

The next tattoo I got was the Boba Cat tattoo. I love boba. I got the tattoo for my late cat Stitch. We had Stitch for 10 years, but he died of cancer. Stitch was my first kitty. I got this to remember him. Stitch used to like to share our treats with us.

moon with the rose of sharon tattoo

This is a moon with the rose of Sharon, the Korean flower. I love the moon, and I am a night owl.
I want to go to Korea someday — I love the culture.